Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-11-26

six or seven from the Connecticut river, is a
deep valley of singular formation that is re-
iuarkable for wild and fantastic scenery Is
Is known in half the state Ms the Devils Hon
tand,N and il is the center OF a tract II
country OF legendary reaowu. Here coons
and witches have been hunted from an i'm
memorial tialc. 1t the north a roaring trout
Stream loasS through iagged throat Ia the
ILLS over boWlders and lodges sixty feet n
laore, INTO the valley, which expands oa
either hand untn it is half a mi,e ii wldtA Ia
its hrcadest part, and PUSHES through a mar.
rev gas between vertical prccipiccs three
Gates below at The southern limit OF the hop
yard. On each side the valley is henlmed in
~ perpendicular, almost seamless walls ~
bloe6 granite; the mountains are heTlrt Is a
VIDE wilderness, with hers and there a farm
amid The woods, and, as far as the business az
men Is concerned, it is practically out 81 the
world. The Devils Hop Yard, 50 called b.
eause the devil used to hop in il with Had.
ialn witches before the world became too
laii and commonplace Tor a romantic gentle
,aan IN black with horns ON his head to tako
any interest in il, is, together with the en-
yiroRing country, the paradise of coon hunt
srs and the nursery % typical coon dogs
Nowhere else are the coon hunter and the
coon dog to be met with in their fun and com
plcte glory.
It requires an extraordinary dog FOR hunt
ing coons, for no other animal leaves SO deli
cate and tleetiug scent IL Is up TO all tho
tricks of the fox, too, in battling pursuit. II
there Is any process for breediaga successful
coon dog it is not known. A setter or
pointer may do artistic work in his own field
that no other dog can rival, and a foxhound
nay be superb in his line, but all may be
practically worthless for coon hunting. A
slood coon dog may have cross from all
Jther hunting dogs, and there may be a
broad stripe of mongrel in his make up, yet
no one can say just what it is that makes
him great in his, profession. There are
scores of coon dogs, but first rate one Ia
rare, and his value priceless.
THE TYPICAL COON DOG.
A good coon dog is born, not made He is
the Scotchman, or Yankee, of the canine
species--one trait he must possess above all
others, he must be canny The Devils Hop
Yard raises the best coon dogs There airs
probably dozen dogs, owned by farmers in
its region about the yard, that cannot DO
bought for $50, and for one or two of tho
number 500 bin would appeal in vain for
acceptance by way of exchange Yet two of
them are homely, shaggy looking fellows
about the farm, with brown coats and mild
brown eyes; and another is apparently
cross between foxhound and a shepherd
dog. In the head Of each, just above the
eyes, is n bump that sticks out like a knob ON
an oak root that bunch is supposed to con-
tain the combination that is set for coons,
without which they would not be worth $50
and 500 apiece.
The hunters of the hop yard have done lit.
tie else since the first day Of October but stir
up the coons There is little money in hunt
ing them for their fur or their meat, but it is
customary each fall for hunters to drive out
to the yard from Norwich, New London,
Middletown, and from Moodus and the Had
dams ON the Connecticut river for night of
coon hunting, and the local hunters act as
guides. In this way the famous dogs are
worth their price to their masters There is
something wrong with the night or with the
hunters if one of these parties returns at day
light with less than from four to ten coons
The hunters go home with their load of
game, the youngest and latest animal is
carefully dressed by a caterer and roasted,
and at night the party and their friends have
a coon supper, which they wash down with
mugs of beer, hard cider and sometimes
punch. Epcures rarely express a similar
opinion about the flavor OK roast coon; some
think it resembles that Of roast pig, others
detect a likeness to that of mutton, still
others say that it savors of bears meat, and
a few profess to find it combination of
mutton, bear and pig flavors Many other
men who have made desperate efforts to eat
n coon supper confess that they would rather
try woodchuck or black cat next time
Norwich (Conn.l Cor. New York Sun.